learning and development in the federal...

© BERSIN & ASSOCIATES RESEARCH REPORT | V.1.0

Karen O’Leonard,

Principal Analyst

March 2011

Insights and Analysis of Training Initiatives in the Federal Government

Learning and Development

in the Federal Sector

Learning and Development in the Federal Sector 2

Bersin & Associates © March 2011 • This Material Is Licensed to Taleo for Distribution Only. • Licensed Material

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 4

Federal Market Overview 6

Budget Cuts 6

Aging Workforce and Pending Retirements 6

Low Retention of Recent Hires 7

Federal Mandates and Shifting Political Climates 7

Impact on Learning and Development 10

Adjusting to Budget Cuts 10

Demonstrating Value and Targeting Training Investments 15

Planning For Retirements 18

Leadership Development 20

Improving Retention 22

Social Media 24

Dealing with Federal Mandates and Shifting 28 Political Climates

Integrated Talent Management in the Federal Space 29

Looking Ahead 41

Regarding This Research 43

Come Visit with Us 43

Join Our Research Membership Program 43

Appendix I: Summary of Abbreviations and Acronyms 45

Appendix II: Table of Figures 47

About Us 48

About This Research 48

Introduction 4

Federal Market Overview 6

Budget Cuts 6

Aging Workforce and Pending Retirements 6

Low Retention of Recent Hires 7

Federal Mandates and Shifting Political Climates 7

Impact on Learning and Development 10

Adjusting to Budget Cuts 10

Demonstrating Value and Targeting Training Investments 15

Planning For Retirements 18

Leadership Development 20

Improving Retention 22

Social Media 24

Dealing with Federal Mandates and Shifting Political Climates 28

Integrated Talent Management in the Federal Space 29

Looking Ahead 41

Regarding This Research 43

Come Visit with Us 43

Join Our Research Membership Program 43

Appendix I: Summary of Abbreviations and Acronyms 45

Appendix II: Table of Figures 47

About Us 48

About This Research 48



IntroductionOver the last decade, private sector industries have undergone a sea change with regard to their attitudes and focus on learning and development (L&D)1. During this time, learning executives have been able to reforge, rebrand and rededicate curricula to align with the core strategies of their businesses, while taking advantage of new, more cost-effective modalities that better integrate the learning process with the everyday responsibilities of their employees.

This revolution should by no means be contained solely in the domain of the private sector. In 2009, the U.S. Federal Government was the country’s largest employer, with a total workforce of more than 4.2 million civilian and military personnel. In 2009, the federal budget of $3.5 trillion in outlays represented almost 25 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product.2 With these types of numbers, the federal government is in a position to realize huge strategic gains by transforming its L&D processes.

The federal government faces some unique challenges that differentiate it from the private sector. One of the most obvious challenges is the sheer scale, size and number of federal agencies and departments. Fifteen executive departments and 107 independent agencies govern a large number of subordinate and supporting organizations, resulting in largely decentralized learning and development efforts. Adding to this complicated organizational structure is the challenge of keeping current with the continuing evolution of policy guidance and mandates from a variety of different authorities. The nature of this hierarchy provides challenges to chief learning officers (CLOs) working toward high-impact learning practices3.

1 For a listing of abbreviations and acronyms used in this report, please see,

“Appendix I: Summary of Abbreviations and Acronyms.”2 Source: Budget and Economic Outlook: Historical Budget Data, Jan 2010,

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/108xx/doc10871/historicaltables.pdf. 3 For more information, The High-Impact Learning Organization: WhatWorks® in

the Management, Governance and Operations of Modern Corporate Training, Bersin &

Associates / Josh Bersin, May 2008. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/

library or for purchase at www.bersin.com/highimpact.

The federal government

is in a position to realize

huge strategic gains by

transforming its L&D

processes.

K E Y P O I N T

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/108xx/doc10871/historicaltables.pdf

http://www.bersin.com/library


http://www.bersin.com/highimpact



With these challenges in mind, we embarked on a research study to understand the current state of learning and development within the federal market. This report draws on interviews conducted with learning executives in 10 different federal organizations. To gain additional insights into trends and practices within the federal space, we supplemented this research with a number of other studies we have conducted over the past few years, including case studies and research reports. These references are cited throughout this report.

This combined research uncovered a wealth of insights into learning practices and trends in the federal market. This report incorporates our perspectives and analyses, and highlights the best practices used by a number of federal agencies to serve as examples for learning executives throughout the federal sector.

This paper explores the following key questions.

• Whataresomeofthekeychallengesanddriversinfluencingthefederal market?

• Howarefederallearningorganizationschangingasaresulteconomic, political and demographic factors?

• Whatbestpracticesarefederallearningorganizationsusingtoimprove their efficiency and effectiveness?

• Howcanfederalagenciesbuildacultureoflearningwithin their organizations?

After reading this report, if you see areas that you would like to further explore for your organization, please contact us at http://www.bersin.com or at (510) 251-4400.

Karen O’Leonard

Principal Analyst

This report draws on

interviews conducted

with learning executives

in 10 different federal

organizations.

K E Y P O I N T

http://www.bersin.com



Federal Market Overview During the recession, a time when most private sector organizations were making significant budgetary cutbacks, the U.S. Federal Government was increasing its spending and staffing to stimulate the economy. According to 2009 U.S. Bureau of Labor statistical data, a spurt of 79,400 hires in 2008 brought federal employment to around 4.4 million, one-half of which (2.2 million) fell under the executive branch of the government.

Now we see a reverse trend – with many private sector companies recovering from the financial crisis, and increasing their investments and headcount, while the government is now reining in its spending. This factor, along with several others, is of particular relevance and import to the state of learning and development within the federal government. Theseissuesaredescribedbriefly,asfollows.

Budget Cuts

In a strained economic climate, federal organizations are cutting budget items across the board to achieve savings. At the time of this writing, the Obama Administration’s 2011 proposed budget called for $20 billion in cuts for discretionary programs. In addition, the proposed two-year pay freeze across the federal government is projected to garner a savings of $5 billion over the next two years and some agencies have called for hiring freezes. It is clear that nearly all federal agencies will be affected by financial belt-tightening. The key question is just how severe the cutbacks will be.

Aging Workforce and Pending Retirements

An aging workforce, coupled with fewer young people entering the labor market, is expected to drive a shortage of talent in the federal government. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) projects that, by 2015, 48 percent of all federal employees will be eligible for retirement. This is an aggregate figure and, while some agencies employ a younger average demographic, others have already exceeded this figure.

While the private sector

is largely recovering

from the financial crisis,

the government is now

reining in its spending.

K E Y P O I N T



This challenge is nothing new to federal agencies, which have been aware of the issue for many years. Some agencies are already addressing this challenge by putting in place initiatives for leadership development, succession planning and knowledge management. Some agencies are being less proactive, however, and those that do not begin planning now will risk critical skills and leadership gaps, as well as significant loss of institutional knowledge.

Low Retention of Recent Hires

Although the federal government has a lower average turnover rate than private industry, this is driven by the low turnover among senior employees with long tenures. The attrition rate for employees with less than two years’ tenure is significantly higher – approaching 30 percent within some agencies4. This trend results in significant turnover costs, and wasted training and development for these employees.

Several factors drive high turnover rates for recent hires in the federal space. Among these are a lack of solid career tracks and training opportunities, uninspiring leadership, outdated technology, and mismatched job expectations. Federal agencies will need strong leadership and talent initiatives to keep these workers engaged and on the job.

Federal Mandates and Shifting Political Climates

With each new Congress and presidential administration, agencies can experience dramatic shifts in funding support and discontinuities in leadership. New political appointees may often have little interest or motivation in the support of training programs or initiatives inherited from a predecessor. The uncertainty of support for newer initiatives can de-incentivize managers, who would rather focus on stable programs already in place.

4 Source: “Attrition is high among new workers in many government agencies,”

Washington Post / Joe Davidson, November 5, 2010, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

dyn/content/story/2010/11/05/ST2010110500336.html?sid=ST2010110500336.

The attrition rate for

employees with less

than two years’ tenure

is significantly higher –

approaching 30 percent

within some agencies.

K E Y P O I N T

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/11/05/ST2010110500336.html?sid=ST2010110500336




In addition to leadership changes, agencies can also be impacted by legislation. The following are three recently passed bills impacting talent and learning initiatives within federal agencies.

Hiring Reform 2010

The bill is designed to streamline the hiring process, requiring agencies to shorten average hiring times for new talent from 155 days to 80 days. It eliminates essays from the application process, keeps application feedback brief, improves web access to job postings and advertises accurate job descriptions in easy-to-read language.

Chief human capital officers (CHCOs) in the federal sector recognize that the hiring process has been lengthy and burdensome. Some have embraced this hiring reform mandate and are redesigning their processes around the directive; others are still evaluating how the mandate could be best implemented within their agencies. Moreover, with some agencies facing hiring freezes, the impact of this mandate may not be fully realized in the near term.

The Supervisor Training Act 2010

Although not as yet voted into law, this bill mandates managerial training which is centered on creating employee development plans that incorporate performance appraisal and accountability components. In addition, the plan requires supervisors to be trained in employee union rights and prohibited workplace behaviors.

The 2010 Telework Bill

This bill gives agencies 180 days to determine the eligibility of every employee to work from home and, for those eligible, to create a written work plan. The overall goal of the bill is to expand the number of employeestelecommutingtoallowgreaterflexibilityinworkschedules.Eligible employees will be able to engage in unscheduled telework on days when they cannot come in to the office.

Additional managerial training will be needed to supervise and monitor remote work arrangements, as well as to prepare employees for the new work arrangements. Additional challenges will include dealing

The uncertainty of

support for newer

initiatives can de-

incentivize managers,

who would rather focus

on stable programs

already in place.

K E Y P O I N T



with system firewalls that block access to organizational data and limiting security risks involved in removing data from the workplace. Learning executives must also evaluate how to best provide training and development to remote workers, turning to online training and other methods, rather than traditional classroom training.



Impact on Learning and Development In the previous section, we described some of the major issues facing federal agencies. These issues have become key drivers that are impacting L&D organizations within these agencies.

In this section, we will discuss how federal learning organizations are being impacted, as well as the changes they are making to successfully address these challenges.

Adjusting to Budget Cuts

Federal learning organizations are already planning and implementing targeted reforms to cope with smaller L&D budgets. In 2010, training budgets dropped seven percent within the government sector.5 As shown in Figure 1, these cuts come at a time when most other sectors are recovering from the financial crisis and are increasing their investments in people development.

5 For more information, The Corporate Learning Factbook® 2011: Benchmarks, Trends

and Analysis of the U.S. Training Market, Bersin & Associates / Karen O’Leonard, January

2011. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library or for purchase at

www.bersin.com/factbook.6 Ibid.

16%

4%

4%

1%

4%

-7%

0%

-4%

-20% -15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

Technology

Retail

Manufacturing

Insurance

Healthcare

Government

Business Services / Consulting

Banking / Fnancial Services

Figure 1: 2010 Change in L&D Spending by Industry6

Source: Bersin & Associates, 2010.


http://www.bersin.com/factbook



Given this financial belt-tightening, some agencies are cutting back on the availability of training, while others are using tightening budgets as a motivator to increase the efficiency and sophistication of their learning programs.

One example is the U.S. Department of the Treasury. With a decentralized training structure across its 13 bureaus, the Treasury is creating a cross-bureau learning council – a grassroots collaborative body of bureau trainers tasked with streamlining core training efforts, thereby freeing up time, energy and money for other needed training. In addition, the CLO and many of the bureau training heads believe that many compliance training efforts could be effectively consolidated across the Treasury.

The push to cut costs has also caused L&D teams to search for opportunities to transition away from instructor-led training (ILT), which is expensive in terms of travel costs and instructor fees, to various forms of online delivery. As we see in Figure 2, the government sector still relies heavily on ILT, with 68 percent of training hours delivered in the classroom. By finding appropriate opportunities to transition to blended-learning approaches7 utilizing e-learning8, virtual classrooms9 (vILT) and other components, significant savings can be realized.

7 For a detailed discussion of all of the options for the design of blended-learning

programs, The Blended Learning Book: Best Practices, Proven Methodologies, and Lessons

Learned, Josh Bersin, Pfeiffer, October 2004. Available for purchase at www.bersin.com.8 For more information, Defining Informal Learning: A Taxonomy for Describing How

Most Learning Happens in Today’s Organizations, Bersin & Associates / David Mallon,

December 18, 2009. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library.9 For more information, Virtual Classrooms: Facts, Practical Analysis, Trends and

Provider Comparisons, Bersin & Associates / David Mallon, November 2010. Available to

research members at www.bersin.com/library.

The Treasury’s cross-

bureau learning council is

a grassroots body tasked

with streamlining core

training efforts, thereby

freeing up time, energy

and money for other

needed training.

K E Y P O I N T






Case in Point: EPA’s Blended-Learning Approach

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an agency tasked with ensuring that Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environments in which they live, learn and work. The EPA’s national training manager oversees the leadership development education programs for 17,500 staff located across the U.S. The agency is responsible for the technical and cross-functional skills development of each employee as it is related to their particular positions and task assignments.

An ongoing issue, funding cuts have meant “doing more with less” over the last few years. Excluding salaries, the EPA’s budget dropped 25 percent from 2009 to 2010 alone. With these types of spending cuts, EPA planners face an increasing challenge of balancing budget dollars between training and administrative demands – and, consequently, are making more of an effort to

52%

55%

55%

57%

58%

59%

64%

68%

13%

3%

16%

18%

22%

10%

9%

11%

32%

33%

26%

19%

16%

22%

20%

14%

3%

9%

3%

7%

3%

10%

8%

7%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Banking / Financial Services

Retail

Insurance


Technology

Healthcare

Manufacturing

Government

ILT vILT Online Self-Study Other

Figure 2: Training Delivery Methods 2010 – by Industry


The EPA is shifting

training from a pure

instructor-led approach

to a blend of modalities,

using supervisors to help

with reinforcement.

K E Y P O I N T



create development activities internally to lessen the impact of the shortfall.

The EPA has found several ways to cut training costs, including:

• Utilizinginternalcertifiedcoachestoworkwith individual contributors;

• Negotiatingcompetitiveratesforexternalcoachingforleaders;

• Greatlyexpandingtheuseofe-learning,replacingILT where possible, and adopting a blended-learning approach for programs that require some degree of face-to-face activity; and,

• Developingtrainingexpertiseamonginternalsupervisorstocreate a “leaders-leading-leaders” environment.

In addition, while the EPA currently has no standalone learning management system (LMS), the agency is planning a cost-saving shared LMS through the government’s “Shared Service Center” model. This process will allow the EPA to tap into more cost-efficient ways to expand its online content.

Mandatory supervisor training provides a good example of how these strategies are evolving. Once a purely instructor-led offering, the program now utilizes a blended approach that incorporates ILT, online courseware, book reviews and executive coaching sessions. Assessments are conducted during each classroom series, as well as a 360 assessment10 at the end of the entire training program, with one-on-one feedback provided based on these assessments. Much of the current program (which now costs only $3,000 per person) is conducted internally, using supervisors to help with reinforcement and feedback in order to further lower costs.

This is just one example of how the EPA is prudently managing its investments, while providing effective training and development to employees and managers. e

10 A “360-degree assessment” incorporates feedback from the worker, and his / her

manager, peers, superiors, subordinates and customers.

Case in Point: EPA’s Blended-Learning Approach (cont’d)

while the EPA currently

has no standalone

learning management

system (LMS), the agency

is planning a cost-saving

shared LMS through the

government’s “Shared

Service Center” model.

K E Y P O I N T



Like the EPA, the U.S. Postal Service is experiencing significant cutbacks. The following case in point describes some of the challenges facing the organization and the changes it is making to its learning initiatives as a result of the current financial climate.

Case in Point: Doing More with Less at USPS

One of the oldest entities in the federal government, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is one of the top employers of civilians in the country. Because the USPS is not directly funded by taxpayer dollars,

Figure 3: Components of the EPA’s Supervisory Training Program




this agency puts an even greater focus on revenue as a driver for all internal programs. However, email, business competition and a protracted recession have dramatically impacted USPS sales. Since the economic downturn began, the USPS has seen a 20 percent loss in mail volume, which is projected to go as high as 37 percent by 2020. These factors have driven the need for downsizing and organizational restructuring within the agency.

From an L&D perspective, budget pressures have driven a significant reduction in training hours, and have also necessitated hard choices regarding the content, delivery and availability of training. From 2000 to 2009, use of classroom training fell from more than nine out of 10 training offerings to six out of 10, as the organization shifted to less-costly delivery methods. In addition, training offerings for executive development and onboarding have been consolidated, and these programs are now less time-intensive. This same strategy is under consideration for managerial training.

While these cost-cutting measures are significant, they are by no means draconian. By changing its delivery methods, consolidating offerings and implementing other efficiency measures, the USPS has been able to maintain a strong focus on organizational learning. The organization will continue to reassess its development programs, processes and systems to ensure that employees remain well-prepared to meet the needs of a dramatically changing business environment.

(For more information, please see “Case in Point: The U.S. Postal Service Implements Progressive Curriculum Model” later in this report for more details on how USPS is effectively developing leaders.) e

Demonstrating Value and Targeting Training Investments

With budgets tightening, agencies are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the value of their programs. Going forward, funding for many learning programs will be contingent upon the ability to show a solid program rationale, develop reportable ROI metrics and meet deadlines. For the first time, some agencies are working to develop

Case in Point: Doing More with Less at USPS (cont’d)

By changing its

delivery methods,

consolidating offerings

and implementing other

efficiency measures,

the USPS has been able

to maintain a strong

focus on organizational

learning.

K E Y P O I N T



balanced scorecards11 and demonstrate how they plan to gather metrics. This will continue to impact L&D teams in developing appropriate measurement and reporting systems.

Private sector L&D executives have faced this same type of scrutiny, particularly over the past few years. Many of these organizations have created and implemented training measurement programs to help them make decisions on what programs to keep and which to cut, as well as in identifying areas of opportunity to make changes that will drive performance improvements.

Our Learning Impact Measurement Model® reviews nine measurement areas that can be used to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of training initiatives.12

11 “Balanced scorecard” is a process for establishing a “strategy-focused organization,”

which sets measurable targets for each operational process and support unit. For more

information on the balanced scorecard, consult http://www.bscol.com.12 For more information, High-Impact Learning Measurement: Best Practices, Models,

and Business-Driven Solutions for the Measurement and Evaluation of Corporate Training,

Bersin & Associates / Josh Bersin, November 2006. Available to research members at

www.bersin.com/library or for purchase at www.bersin.com/measurement.

Copyright © 2009 Bersin & Associates. All rights reserved. Page 1

Adoption Utility AlignmentEfficiency Attainment

Did you reach thedesired audience?

Did they complete orcomply as desired?Who did not comply

and why?

How well do programs solve the workforce’s particular problems?How well did it align

to the specific job-relatedproblems and issues?

Would learners recommendthis program to their peers?

How efficient andcost-effective

How did it compareto other similar programsor competitive programs?

How well did it uselearner’s time?

How well wereprogram business priorities defined?

How well did businessunits buy off on the

value of this programrelative to

other investments?

How well did youmeet specifically

defined client (business user

or customer) objectives?These may be

revenue, time tomarket, compliance,time to complete, etc.

Individual Performance Organizational Performance

Satisfaction Learning

Indicators asked of learners and managers to gauge performance improvements.

Specific operational measures identified in theperformance consulting process.

General business measures or HR measures which are already captured in the organization (ie. engagement, retention). Special surveys can be used to determine

indicators using the “wisdom of crowds.”

1 2

3 4 5 6 7

8 9

Figure 4: Bersin & Associates Learning Impact Measurement Model®


http://www.bscol.com


http://www.bersin.com/measurement



With budget pressures and tighter scrutiny, federal agencies need to make sure that their training dollars are being used wisely. Such is the case at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which is currently rolling out several comprehensive competency assessments within bureaus and across the agency. These assessments provide a quantitative way to analyze training needs and better align development efforts. The following case in point describes how the IRS, one bureau within the Treasury, is using competency models to better target its training dollars.

Case in Point: IRS Develops Competency Models to Target Training Investments

A well-known entity to most Americans, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is responsible for the collection of taxes and the enforcement of tax law. While the IRS has an impressive track record of retaining midlevel and senior auditors, it faces the challenge of hiring and training cadres of entry-level call center workers and new auditors each year to handle large surges of calls during tax season, and to replace attrition in an aging workforce.

In a given year, the IRS may offer up to 20,000 training events around the country. New call center hires receive between seven and 17 weeks of training, largely based around “call-scenario” training, with class sizes reaching as high as several hundred students. This training must be constantly reevaluated in terms of both adherence to a regularly changing tax code, as well as in terms of its effectiveness in promoting accuracy. Calls from taxpayers may fall into any one of more than 300 categories – and inaccurate, incomplete or misleading responses from call center employees would aggregate into large potential losses for both the taxpayer, as well as for the federal government. The success of these training programs has resulted in the IRS becoming an exemplar to other countries.

While the IRS faces most of the same budget pressures and constraints as other government agencies, its primary driver remains the need for effectiveness – delivering the best possible training to ensure that its employees are able to ramp up to their

The IRS faces the

challenge of hiring and

training cadres of entry-

level call center workers

and new auditors each

year to handle large

surges of calls during

tax season.

K E Y P O I N T



maximum ability in the shortest amount of time possible. In order to better achieve these goals, the IRS is taking the first steps toward developing technical competency and assessment models that will help to better target its training dollars. Through these models, the IRS is evolving its training from broadly applying programs to carefully targeting those programs to address specific learning needs. Rather than scheduling classes for all employees, the IRS can schedule classes only for those with a true need for the course based on their individual competency assessments.

The success of the approach, now in the pilot stage, will be measured by the gains in proficiency when the pilot participants take the assessment next summer. This approach has currently been applied to a few occupations within the IRS and is about to be rolled out for the HR function, with plans to expand occupation by occupation over the next several years. In addition, participant scores on the annual IRS employee engagement survey will be evaluated, particularly on those questions regarding training needs and assessments – areas in which the IRS has struggled with low scores in the past.

Using this new approach, the IRS can better utilize its resources to deliver effective training. Employees receive targeted training on the skills and knowledge they need, enabling them to reach proficiency with the right amount of training intervention. e

Planning For Retirements

As described in the preceding section, another area of significant concern lies in the attrition of more senior members of the federal workforce and the accompanying large potential turnover costs, as well as the prospect of massive losses of institutional knowledge. According to data from OPM, more than 28 percent of all federal employees were eligible to retire in 2009. By 2015, OPM estimates that this number will jump to 48 percent, including more than 60 percent of federal supervisors, creating a massive leadership and management vacuum.13

13 Source: Office of Personnel Management, Central Personnel Data File, Fiscal 2006 to

Fiscal 2008, http://www.opm.gov/feddata/retire/NSFTP_Retirements_00-09.asp.

Case in Point: IRS Develops Competency Models to Target Training Investments (cont’d)

The IRS is taking the first

steps toward developing

technical competency and

assessment models that

will help to better target

its training dollars.

K E Y P O I N T

http://www.opm.gov/feddata/retire/NSFTP_Retirements_00-09.asp



Most agencies are aware of this challenge – some have just started their efforts in identifying possible solutions; others are actively engaged in finding solutions; and, a few have been actively implementing those solutions for years.

As one example, the IRS14 started its “Workforce of Tomorrow Task Force” in 2008, with the goal of establishing a leadership and workforce bench15 by 2013 that would be sufficient for at least the next 15 years. Another example is the Treasury Department, which has established individual development plans (IDP), and is working to identify and cultivate high-potential future leaders16. In fact, the Treasury has created succession plans for all key leadership positions, defining three categories of readiness and a timeframe for achieving them.

The following case in point outlines the efforts of another federal agency in facilitating knowledge transfer throughout the organization.

Case in Point: Federal Agency Implements Knowledge Management Initiatives

While expected budget cuts are currently a challenge to program planning, for some federal agencies, a greater challenge lies further down the road. Some agencies have large numbers of older employees with low turnover ratios. These workers will inevitably retire, taking with them huge stores of institutional knowledge.

14 Source: Workforce of Tomorrow Final Report, August 2009. Publication 4783 (8-

2009) Catalog Number 53339W Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service

http://www.irs.gov/pub/newsroom/wot_pub_4783.pdf. 15 “Bench” refers to an organization’s ongoing need to have a pool of talent that

is readily available to fill positions at all levels of management (as well as other key

positions) as the company grows. At each level, different competencies, knowledge and

experiences are required, and (to keep the pipeline filled) the organization must have

programs designed to develop appropriate skills sets. (Also known as the “pipeline.”)16 A “high-potential employee” is an employee who has been identified as having the

potential, ability and aspiration for successive leadership positions within the company.

Often, these employees are provided with focused development as part of a succession

plan and are referred to as “HiPos.”

According to data from

OPM, more than 28

percent of all federal

employees were eligible

to retire in 2009. By 2015,

OPM estimates that this

number will jump to 48

percent, including more

than 60 percent of federal

supervisors, creating a

massive leadership and

management vacuum.

K E Y P O I N T

http://www.irs.gov/pub/newsroom/wot_pub_4783.pdf



To combat this challenge, one agency is creating knowledge management programs to develop repositories of information and to facilitate the transfer of knowledge to younger workers. Several mentorship programs are currently up and running, which may one day be integrated into succession planning. Job shadowing17 and interagency exchange programs are also being used to “cross-pollinate” knowledge and skills, and federal agencies are working to widen the spread of these programs. e

Leadership Development

Impending retirements also bring forth the challenge of developing the next generation of leaders. High-impact organizations focus their leadership development efforts in developing not individual managers or leaders but, rather, an entire leadership team capable of meeting key strategic and organizational objectives.

To move an organization forward, all levels of management must be equipped with the right skills sets and knowledge – even those at the very top levels of leadership. Recognizing this, the U.S. Department of the Treasury rolled out a 360-assessment initiative to all executives in order to help leaders identify and leverage existing strengths, as well as better understand areas for growth. To date, the Treasury is the sole cabinet-level department to conduct a departmentwide 360 assessment for all executives, including presidential appointees, up to the deputy secretary.

The importance of leadership development is not lost within the military ranks, as demonstrated in the following case in point.

17 “Job shadowing” is an activity in which an individual spends time with a

professional on the job, observing actual workplace tasks in order to explore best

-practice performance in the work environment.

Case in Point: Federal Agency Implements Knowledge Management Initiatives (cont’d)

The U.S. Department of

the Treasury rolled out a

360-assessment initiative

to all executives in order

to help leaders identify

and leverage existing

strengths, as well as

better understand areas

for growth.

K E Y P O I N T



Case in Point: The U.S. Air Force Strengthens Leadership Capabilities18

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) senior leadership recognizes that officers who are skillful leaders are more successful in achieving mission goals, minimizing casualties and increasing the efficiency of operations. Proper development is critical to both mission effectiveness and the retention of highly skilled and motivated officers.

The Air Force’s company-grade officer leadership program (CGOLP) targets nearly 42,000 field grade officers and takes approximately 4,080 hours to complete. The program includes exercises, custom simulations and automated assessments, and utilizes distance learning using web-based processes. The CGOLP is composed of a series of courses that build upon one another, but which were designed to be standalone modules. The instructional design model, “Acquire, Apply, Assess” (referred to as “A3”) was devised by the Air Force and is applied to every course.

Program topics and content were selected through a consultative process involving numerous active-duty and retired USAF officers, and squadron officer college (SOC) resources and leadership program faculty. Updates and maintenance will be accomplished annually on an ongoing basis. The Air Force worked closely with the vendor to design and develop a master’s degree-level curriculum. The CGOLP includes six courses that build on each other in a general way – but which also are designed to be standalone and so are not necessarily prerequisites. Course duration is approximately 36 hours per credit hour, although this may vary (upward) considerably across learners.

18 For more information, Innovative Learning Program: U.S. Air Force Redefines

Competencies and Strengthens Leadership Capabilities, Bersin & Associates / Kim

Lamoureux, April 2009. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library.

Proper development, as

well as the mentoring

of leadership skills and

talents, is critical to both

mission effectiveness and

the retention of highly

skilled and motivated

officers.

K E Y P O I N T




A3, the instructional design model, is a unique hybrid. A course is composed of units, and each unit includes acquire modules (with self-checks to ensure understanding), apply exercises and assess simulation modules. “Apply” exercises in every unit are designed to be tailored to each learner’s real-world role and location to make the learning relevant – and to increase engagement, and foster integration and transfer of material learned to improve performance. The goal was to design exercises that can yield useful information and products that help the learner or his / her command, so that each learner’s unit, as well as the Air Force itself, benefits directly from the assignments.

Achievement of Air Force’s strategic goals has been supported by the CGOLP, as this program imparts truly mission-critical leadership skills required for mission achievement, minimized casualties and efficient operations. e

Improving Retention

Although the federal workforce suffers significantly less average turnover than most private sector industries, these numbers obscure a significantly higher rate of attrition among new hires. Data from the

Case in Point: The U.S. Air Force Strengthens Leadership Capabilities (cont’d)

Figure 5: Company Grade Officer Leadership Program (CGOLP) Course List

Course Credits Approximate Hours

Lieutenant Development 3 108

Flight Commander 3 108

Expeditionary Leadership 3 108

Squadron Officer School 6 216

Advanced Officership 6 216

21st Century Warfare 9 324

Total 30 1,080

Source: U.S. Air Force, 2008.



Central Personnel Data File indicates that more than 24 percent of new hires left their positions within two years. The rate of attrition for those selected as presidential management fellows (PMFs), a competitive two-year leadership development program, was even higher – a whopping 33 percent of PMFs hired in 2006 had left their sponsoring agency by the end of fiscal year 2008, with 14 percent going to another agency and 19 percent leaving for the private sector.19

Not only do these lost employees represent a massive cost in terms of wasted development funds and turnover costs (estimated as anywhere between 50 percent and 200 percent of the individual’s annual salary), but they also represent a potential loss of leadership continuity. There are only so many years left in which to develop mid- and senior-level managers to replace those who will very soon be retiring.

Agencies are tackling the problem of retention from several directions. Because new employees tend to be younger, many agencies have updated their technology infrastructure to be more appealing, including more self-service e-learning and social networking. Agencies are also putting a stronger focus on highlighting the “service” aspects of “public service” as a powerful attractor for fresh graduates interested in making a difference.

Case in Point: OPM’s Talent Acquisition and Retention Efforts

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has a broad mission of helping to ensure that the federal government hires and retains the best talent – and develops these individuals to create a high-performing20 workforce. Serving more than two million federal employees, OPM Employee Services is a resource for all employee policies, including compensation, benefits, retirement services and employee relations.

19 Source: “Attrition is high among new workers in many government agencies,”

Washington Post / Joe Davidson, November 5, 2010, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

dyn/content/story/2010/11/05/ST2010110500336.html?sid=ST2010110500336. 20 A “high performer” is an employee who is a key contributor, demonstrates

high performance, is capable of a lateral move, may be qualified for a broader role

within the same profession; and, has reached the potential to move “upward’ in a

management capacity.

Because new employees

tend to be younger,

many agencies have

updated their technology

infrastructure, including

self-service e-learning and

social networking.

K E Y P O I N T





One area in which the OPM has taken a special interest is the retention of younger employees. To stem the 30 percent attrition rate for new employees and improve talent acquisition efforts, OPM learning officers suggest replacing “glamorous” outreach videos with ones showing more realistic “day-in-the-life” scenarios. This approach will help to curb attrition by creating relevant and more grounded expectations from applicants.

In addition, the OPM uses social media to give young recruits a sense of connectedness, which also helps to improve retention. While many private sector businesses have blocked social media sites in their offices, the OPM has opened up access to many of these sites in order to encourage connections and collaboration.21

Through these efforts and other creative strategies, agencies are working to attract and retain younger workers. As one example, the Army Corp of Engineers successfully recruited young engineers to hurricane-damaged New Orleans by enlisting parents as part of the recruitment process. Recognizing the importance of parental support, the Corp invited parents to recruitment meetings at which job benefits and safety issues were addressed. As a result, a large number of talented, young engineers joined the effort in New Orleans. e

Social Media

As previously mentioned, one strategy for attracting and retaining younger workers is to increase the availability and effective use of social media within federal agencies. But the benefits of social media apply to all workers – the young and the young at heart. Optimally, all employees should have access to the entire span of knowledge contained in the organization. Highly effective L&D organizations not only utilize this knowledge to help guide their formal training efforts, but also strive to make that knowledge easily accessible on the job through social media platforms. Social networking can also serve as an important tool for

21 Source: http://www.opm.gov/BLOGS/MakeItHappen/2010/11/15/Six-IT-Rules-How-

Breaking-Them-Will-Unleash-Innovative-Thinking-Part-3/index.aspx.

Case in Point: OPM’s Talent Acquisition and Retention Efforts (cont’d)

http://www.opm.gov/BLOGS/MakeItHappen/2010/11/15/Six-IT-Rules-How-Breaking-Them-Will-Unleash-Innovative-Thinking-Part-3/index.aspx

http://www.opm.gov/BLOGS/MakeItHappen/2010/11/15/Six-IT-Rules-How-Breaking-Them-Will-Unleash-Innovative-Thinking-Part-3/index.aspx



promoting connections and cross-functional relationships within their organizations.22

Efforts to incorporate social media vary greatly across the various departments and agencies; in general, initiatives are sporadic and are often amongst the first to be abandoned due to budget cuts. Firewalls, bandwidth, privacy and security issues serve as additional concerns which have limited the implementation.

Despite these challenges, some organizations have figured out how to successfully harness the power of social learning. The following case in point highlights one example – the Defense Acquisition University.

Case in Point: Social Learning at the DAU23

The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) serves more than 134,000 members of the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L) workforce, an office administered by the Department of Defense (DoD). The job of the AT&L workforce is to get state-of-the-art equipment, weapons and communications systems to the U.S. armed forces.

In the late 1990s, DAU faced a critical challenge – with the end of the cold war, a dramatic reduction in DoD’s civilian workforce began. Within 10 years, the DAU lost 38 percent of its workforce.

These departing workers took with them much of the department’s knowledge base and critical core competencies. The remaining employees were then required to take on additional responsibilities and, as a result, faced significant knowledge and skills gaps. For this workforce to meet the demands of the military’s changing mission, the DoD needed to disseminate knowledge in more effective ways.

22 For more information, Enterprise Social Software 2009: Facts, Practical Analysis,

Trends and Provider Profiles, Bersin & Associates / David Mallon, September 2008.

Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library or for purchase at www.bersin.

com/socialsoftware.23 For more information, Developing Communities of Practice: Best Practices and

Lessons Learned from the Defense Acquisition University, Bersin & Associates / Chris

Howard, May 2007. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library.

Efforts to incorporate

social media vary greatly

across federal agencies,

but some have learned

how to successfully

harness the power of

social learning.

K E Y P O I N T


http://www.bersin.com/socialsoftware

http://www.bersin.com/socialsoftware




The Defense Acquisition University needed to transform itself from a single-dimension training organization (providing only instructor-led, on-campus courses) into a multidimensional, corporate university capable of extending learning beyond the classroom and into the workplace. This transformation required new methods of curriculum development, content management and program delivery – as well as an infrastructure that could maintain continuous learning, performance support, applied research and communities of practice (CoPs)24.

To meet this challenge, DAU adopted a learning architecture25 that offered employees convenient and economical access to a wide range of learning opportunities and knowledge-sharing environments. (See Figure 6.) The model created a framework for developing collaborative knowledge areas and CoPs centered on AT&L career fields and business processes. These communities were intended to bring together AT&L workforce members, DAU faculty, and experts from industry and academia for ad-hoc problem-solving, professional networking and mutual support. By creating a systematic process for establishing and sustaining these communities, the CoPs have been extremely successful at the DAU.

24 A “community of practice” (or “CoP”) is often defined as a group of people who

share an interest or concern about a common topic, and who deepen their knowledge in

this area through ongoing interaction and relationship-building within their group. While

communities often come into being spontaneously, they nonetheless require nurturing if they

are to become valuable to the members and remain viable over the course of their evolution.25 A “learning architecture” is an organization’s unique map of agreed-upon learning

needs, learning strategies and delivery strategies for all of its training. This gives

designers, trainers and managers a clear view of what types of problems the organization

will solve, how they will solve them, what tools they need and which approaches the

organization will take. It deliberately limits the organization’s options by deciding

how and where the training organization will focus its efforts – and it builds upon the

organization’s culture and history of learning.

Case in Point: Social Learning at the DAU (cont’d)

DAU adopted a learning

architecture that offered

employees convenient

and economical access

to a wide range of

learning opportunities

and knowledge-sharing

environments.

K E Y P O I N T



Today, DAU provides virtually every AT&L employee with a full range of continuous learning opportunities, performance support tools and knowledge management services throughout his / her professional career. This complete learning environment can serve as an example to other military and civilian agencies. e

Figure 6: Acquisition, Technology and Linguistics Performance Learning Model

Source: DAU, 2007.

Case in Point: Social Learning at the DAU (cont’d)



Dealing with Federal Mandates and Shifting Political Climates

Agencies will continue to face new administrations and new mandates. One strategy for coping with this challenge is to develop strong infrastructure and practices that allow them to react quickly and efficiently. For example, many agencies have been directed to lower their amount of training-related travel expenses and to increase the amount of training delivered through e-learning. Agencies that already have experience with LMSs will have a much easier time adjusting to this push, rather than those agencies only just starting to use these systems.

Another example is the Telework Enhancement Act.26 While this bill will require an upfront investment in terms of time and infrastructure, there are significant anticipated savings long term in the areas of lower energy consumption and improved productivity. While promoting telework might not otherwise be a short-term priority, L&D teams will need to find the most efficient methods to deliver training opportunities to telecommuters, taking into account potential hurdles in terms of firewalls, system incompatibilities and bandwidth restrictions.

Another coping strategy is to cultivate an innovative and agile culture that can devise creative ways to deal with leadership and policy changes. Although easier said than done, we have seen the beginnings of this type of culture in a few of the agencies we interviewed.

Finally, federal L&D teams can develop and nurture a strong cadre of success stories. The stronger and more effective the L&D strategy, the less likely it is that a new administrator will seek to change it. There is also strength in numbers; by creating cross-agency CLO networks, councils and connections (even if only in an advisory function), individual L&D teams will find themselves better positioned to give compelling, fact-driven arguments for a continuity of strategy.

26 Source: http://www.govexec.com/pdfs/092910l2.pdf.

By creating cross-agency

CLO networks, councils

and connections,

individual L&D teams

will find themselves

better positioned to

give compelling, fact-

driven arguments for a

continuity of strategy.

K E Y P O I N T

http://www.govexec.com/pdfs/092910l2.pdf



Integrated Talent Management in the Federal Space

To be fully effective, learning executives cannot operate in a vacuum. Their efforts dovetail with other talent initiatives, including leadership development, succession planning, performance management and recruiting. While all of these areas are inherently interrelated (as shown in Figure 7), they still often exist as siloed functions, particularly in the public sector.

Copyright © 2008 Bersin & Associates. All rights reserved. Page 1

Talent Acquisition

Career Management

Succession Management

LeadershipDevelopment

Learning & CapabilityDevelopment

Talent Infrastructure

Total Rewards

CompetencyManagement

Performance Management

Figure 7: The Vision of Integrated Talent Management




We classify organizations into one of four stages according to the integration of their talent processes and the maturity of their talent managementapproaches.Thesestagesarebrieflydescribedasfollows.27

• Level 1 describes a traditional HR organization in which talent processes are developed and managed individually. The processes are “silos,” meaning that there is little or no coordination across processes and little or no sharing of data between talent systems.

• InLevel 2, the organization begins to identify connection points across its talent processes and to manually link its talent systems together manually (i.e., taking data from one system and entering it into another system).

• InLevel 3, organizations are heavily focused on integrating processes and systems. A talent management executive or team is responsible for talent initiatives, but business leaders share equal responsibility for achieving talent goals.

• Atthemostsophisticatedstage(Level 4), organizations have fully integrated systems and processes. A talent management executive serves as the steward of the strategy and processes, but talent management is owned by business leaders and line managers, who are held accountable and rewarded for talent outcomes.

Our recent research shows that the government sector is well behind other industries in terms of maturity. As shown in Figure 8, 43 percent of government organizations are still at Level 1, with siloed HR processes and systems – a figure which is significantly higher than other sectors.28

27 For more information, Talent Management Factbook 2010: Best Practices and

Benchmarks in U.S. Talent Management, Bersin & Associates / Karen O’Leonard and Stacey

Harris, September 2010. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library or for

purchase at www.bersin.com/tmfactbook.28 Ibid.

Our recent research shows

that the government

sector is well behind

other industries in terms

of talent management

maturity.

K E Y P O I N T


http://www.bersin.com/tmfactbook



Why should federal organizations put the time and energy into integrating their talent processes? Because mature, integrated talent management yields better business results. Our research shows that the higher the level of maturity, the more effective companies are in their talent initiatives. As shown in Figure 9, as companies move up the maturity ladder, they have lower turnover and higher promotion rates. They are also more effective at developing leaders, creating a pipeline of ready successors and boosting employee engagement. Furthermore, these companies excel at employee development, career planning and hiring great talent.

In short, these companies have higher ratings on every aspect of talent management. These findings should serve as a potent motivator for organizations within the federal government to begin thinking about integrating their talent processes.

0%

8%

8%

14%

10%

7%

6%

5%

30%

24%

9%

21%

19%

19%

14%

16%

43%

48%

51%

43%

48%

48%

53%

41%

22%

20%

26%

26%

28%

28%

28%

43%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Banking

Retail

Technology

Manufacturing

Insurance

Healthcare / Medical


Government (federal, state, local)

Level 4: Strategic Talent ManagementLevel 3: Integrated Talent ManagementLevel 2: Standardized Talent ProcessesLevel 1: Siloed HR Processes

Figure 8: Talent Management Maturity by Industry – U.S. 2010*


*Numbers may not total 100% due to rounding.



There are notable exceptions within the federal sector. Several agencies, including the EPA, are exploring opportunities to move toward a shared-services model through OPM that will allow various talent systems to interface and exchange data. Also, certain agencies, such as the USPS and Treasury, are deploying thoughtful and comprehensive reform, with an eye toward integrating their various talent processes and systems.

Case in Point: U.S. Postal Service Implements Progressive Curriculum Model

The U.S. Postal Service runs one of the largest training curricula in the country, with 3,000 instructor-led classes and 1,200 online courses. Despite significant budgetary pressures29, the USPS maintains a continuous-improvement agenda by benchmarking with private industry and sending representatives to workforce development programs, like those at Duke University and MIT. The agency also conducts an organizational cultural inventory assessment to measure the state of the Postal Service.

29 Please see the section, “Case in Point: Doing More with Less at USPS,” for more details.

Figure 9: Impact of Talent Management Maturity on Organizational Effectiveness

Level 1: Silos

Level 2: Standardized

Level 3: Integrated

Level 4: Strategic

2009 Total Turnover 15% 13% 11% 7%

2009 Voluntary Turnover 8% 6% 5% 4%

2009 Turnover among High Performers

2% 2% 2% 1%

Percent of Companies That Promoted 10% or More Employees in 2009

23% 23% 31% 45%




In 2006, USPS began a major L&D reform effort – to integrate its learning model with business operations. The challenge was to align learning assets with the organization and link training goals to operational performance needs, while moving away from simple measurements of training hours completed. Figure 10 showcases the comprehensive learning curriculum that resulted from this reform effort, and which serves as a roadmap for training and development in the Postal Service.

Case in Point: U.S. Postal Service Implements Progressive Curriculum Model (cont’d)

Figure 10: The Learning Continuum for the U.S. Postal Service

Source: U.S. Postal Services, 2011.



The three main training audiences (listed on the right side of Figure 10) run from supervisory and midlevel managers, to executives to officers. The left side of Figure 10 shows the progression of leadership development programs from craft training all the way up to individualized executive development for senior leaders within the organization.

Programs and levels within this model are aligned with a competency model focused on the skills necessary for executives and managers. These programs are not only designed to support and develop employees within their current roles, but also to dovetail with succession planning efforts. Descriptions of two of the component programs in this model are as follows.

• Managerial Leadership Program (MLP) – Launched in July 2008, this two-week program targets employees of EAS level 19, and draws employees from both headquarters, as well as the field. Participants in this program are high-potential managers who have demonstrated the ability to move into higher-level EAS leadership roles, but who are not yet part of corporate succession planning and who have not attended the Advanced Leadership Program (ALP).

• Advanced Leadership Program (ALP) – This is a three-week classroom curriculum spanning a six- to nine-month period. The first week is devoted to “Business Foundations,” the second to “Personal Development” and the third to “Business Leadership and the Business Case Presentation.” Participants must be non-executives who have been identified as potential successors in corporate succession planning. These individuals must be nominated by a sponsoring executive and approved by their vice president.

In summary, despite the current rigors of the business environment, the USPS remains committed and engaged with providing best-practice development opportunities for employees and to fostering a high performance workforce. e

Case in Point: U.S. Postal Service Implements Progressive Curriculum Model (cont’d)



Building a Learning Culture in the Federal Space

As the federal government begins to place more of a strategic focus on learning initiatives, it is useful to keep in mind some best practices for moving along the L&D continuum. Figure 11 shows some best-practice guideposts for determining an organization’s readiness to transition to a modern, high-impact learning organization, as well as helping to keep that organization’s L&D strategy aligned over time.30

30 For more information, High-Impact Learning Practices: The Guide to Modernizing

Your Corporate Training Strategy through Social and Informal Learning, Bersin &

Associates / David Mallon, July 2009. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/

library or for purchase at www.bersin.com/hilp.

Internal

Capacity Building

Business Analysis

Content Efficiency

Adaptation

Versatile

External

Business Driven

Talent Linked

Timely

Targeted

Proximal

Figure 11: The Bersin & Associates Modern Enterprise Learning Index®




http://www.bersin.com/hilp



The following five internal best practices are indicators of the level of the organization’s ability to support modern high-impact learning.

1. Capacity Building – The L&D team has the ability to add new knowledge and skills fast enough to meet changing organizational needs. Although the learning environment of some agencies remains largely stable over time, regulatory-, scientific- or policy-driven agencies will have a greater need for dynamism.

2. Business / Operational Analysis – The L&D team has the connections and the expertise to master and analyze the business / operational processes of its target audience. It is not enough for federal L&D organizations to provide basic and undifferentiated content for their agencies. They must, instead, maintain a deep integration between their teams and the agency’s clients served.

3. Content Efficiency – Learning content processes are highly efficient, including content reuse31 and recycling. In order for federal L&D organizations to become high impact, they must be focused on efficiency, approaching their content processes with diligence even when they are simple, rapid or subject matter expert-driven. They must recognize that content maturity does not necessarily equate to complexity or control. They similarly understand that their agencies require solutions that are smaller and faster, rather than larger and richer. These organizations will look for ways to simplify and streamline their offerings, ultimately developing explicitly defined templates,guidelinesandworkflowsthataresustainable.

4. Adaptation – The learning organization knows the preferences of its audiences, and must be able to adapt its efforts to audiences of different geographies or generations. The modern high-impact learning organization is intimately acquainted with its audiences, and frequently collects actionable information about who they are, what they need and how they learn.

31 For more information, Business Applications of Reusable Learning Content:

Analyses, Best Practices and Business-Driven Solutions Based on Current Technologies and

Usage, Bersin & Associates / Chris Howard, April 2007. Available to research members at

www.bersin.com/library.

One key indicator of a

learning organization’s

potential is the team’s

ability to add skills fast

enough to meet changing

organizational needs.

K E Y P O I N T




5. Versatility – L&D can work equally well in as many different formats, channels and modalities as their audiences do. Modern high-impact learning organizations recognize that the learner’s needs and preferences should play a strong role in the choice of delivery modality, and are able to take advantage of multiple modalities, depending on resource availability and priority of resource allocation.

Just as important for the evolution of L&D in the federal space are the external factors that drive alignment of L&D efforts with agency or department goals. One primary factor is that learning should begin and end with a focus on operational impact. These organizations should always aim to know if learning is in alignment with the needs of the organization and whether it is as efficient as possible.

As mentioned in the previous section, L&D efforts should be mapped directly to talent management strategies. Even for those federal organizations without a defined concept of talent management, their learning organizations should still explicitly map their efforts to the overall talent needs of the organization.

L&D organizations need to successfully meet urgent, time-critical organizational needs. In conversation after conversation with current learning organizations, we heard that nothing ruins the credibility or threatens the long-term relevancy of a learning function than lack of speed. Whether it be a lightning-fast development and deployment of program updates for the IRS in response to changing tax regulations, or amorerelaxedturnaroundreflectiveofimpendingpolicychange,itisimportant for L&D teams to meet concrete deadlines.

Finally, L&D organizations need to target their efforts to where performance happens. High-impact learning organizations must recognize that most learning takes place in subtle and informal ways, outside of the usual gaze of the training department. They should identify the natural knowledge pathways of the organization, and stage their own offerings and support of learner- and expert-authored offerings to occur in these pathways. In practice, this means that the traditional technology platform for learning in today’s organizations, the LMS, often moves behind the scenes.

By following these guidelines and practices, L&D organizations within the federal government will find themselves well-poised to meet the changing business needs of their individual clients – and also to engage in deep, meaningful and well-grounded conversations with one another

Learning should begin

and end with a focus on

operational impact.

K E Y P O I N T



to look for areas of redundancy, opportunities for consolidation and the further sharing of best practices.

Case in Point: Learning Culture at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland32

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that (together with the board of governors in Washington, D.C.) make up the Federal Reserve System, the central bank of the U.S. As the nation’s central bank, the Federal Reserve System formulates U.S. monetary policy, and supervises certain banks and all bank holding companies – and provides payment services to depository institutions and the U.S. Government.

The Bank is facing a demographic crisis familiar to many other federal organizations today. Much of the current examiner staff is older and near retirement. The Bank must keep this critical role staffed, both at the level of the rank and file and in the leadership. To compensate, the Bank is hiring and training a relativefloodofnew,youngerexaminers.Withtheseyounger

32 For more information, Learning Culture: A Critical Part of Learning On-Demand –

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Meets the Performance Needs of Its Workforce

through Knowledge-Sharing and Social Learning, Bersin & Associates / David Mallon,

December 2008. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library.

Figure 12: Aligning L&D to Organizational Goals

Focus on operational impact

Map to talent needs

Meet time-critical organizational needs

Target learning at the point of need





workers comes evolving expectations for learning. The Bank has responded through the use of social and collaborative learning support, knowledge repositories, and interactive simulations.

The Bank’s success at enabling learning on-demand through knowledge-sharing is not a matter of any one single initiative or program. Knowledge-sharing is a core competency of the organization, its individuals, its departments, its programs and its processes. Consistent executive sponsorship for knowledge management, as well as a deep institutionalization of knowledge-sharing into performance management and professional development processes, has created an environment in which employees believe it is in everyone’s best interests to share any experience and expertise with anyone who needs it. The Bank demonstrates all of the behaviors that Bersin & Associates has identified as characteristic of an organization with a strong learning culture as follows:

• Leaderswithintheorganizationareoftenrotatedintothe learning organization from line operations; time and experience in L&D are considered to be a valuable part of a person’s career within the organization;

• Newtechnologiesandapproachestolearningareembracedreadily, even though they often fail on the first few attempts;

• Theorganizationfrequentlyusescollaborativelearning,socialnetworking, subject-matter-driven learning, coaching and other forms of informal learning on a regular basis;

• Informationisreadilysharedthroughouttheorganizationwithout regard to rank or job role;

• Peopleintheorganizationresponsibleforlearningandperformance feel valued, and have high levels of retention and engagement;

• Businessplansandbusinessdashboardsregularlyincludeinformation about talent readiness, skills and potential; and,

Case in Point: Learning Culture at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (cont’d)

Knowledge-sharing is a

core competency of the

Federal Reserve Bank of

Cleveland, its individuals,

its departments, its

programs and its

processes.

K E Y P O I N T



• PeopleintheL&Dorganizationaredirectlyconnectedwiththe business, and clearly understand the critical and urgent business problems within the organization.

Our study of the Bank reveals an organization that truly values learning. The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland is a model for other L&D organizations seeking to develop a learning culture, and which are looking to develop the skills, perspectives and processes. e

Case in Point: Learning Culture at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (cont’d)



Looking Ahead There are many contextual factors that will help to spur the federal government toward more sophisticated and comprehensive L&D programs. Leading agencies are using these as launching pads to improve their learning and talent initiatives. In this section, we describe a few of the key factors that will determine the success or failure of learning organizations in the coming years.

• Agility in Working with New Mandates, Policies and Requirements – The number of different policy inputs adds multiple layers of complexity to organizational processes. Some agencies are inherently agile, devising creative ways to work with new policies and mandates, while other agencies are not as adaptable to change. OPM is attempting to help agencies by pointing out cross-agency commonalities, as well as working to change practices through persuasion, rather than through its own policy mandates.

• Partnering with Unions – As of 2009, 28 percent of federal employees were unionized (as compared with 7.2 percent of private sector workers).33 As organizations begin to integrate talent processes, they will also begin the process of assessing skills and competencies – and will attempt to link the results of those assessments to opportunities for training and advancement. Unions have a great deal of negotiating power in determining how assessments are conducted and in what ways they are allowed to impact employees. Managers must work with unions to build alignment on these issues.

• Building Leadership Skills – To date, most agencies have provided management and supervisory training, focusing on the basic soft skills and process-oriented training needed by managers. What has been generally lacking is comprehensive, structured leadership development, focused on coaching, mentoring, motivating, assessing and guiding teams. Leading agencies recognize that effective leadership development is a long-term process – and must include a continuum of programs that will help to build skills and reinforce those skills over time. Moreover, they are aligning leadership development initiatives with business objectives, and

33 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf.

Generally lacking in

the federal sector is

comprehensive leadership

development that is

focused on motivating,

assessing and guiding

teams.

K E Y P O I N T

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf



linking them with succession and career planning activities for maximum effectiveness.

• Implementing Learning Technologies – Some agencies and departments have already been highly receptive to L&D initiatives and technology. Others have not had the funding to purchase learning systems or do not have the infrastructure in place to support these systems. In one case, an agency that purchased and implemented an LMS found that its network infrastructure simply was not robust enough to allow the LMS to function effectively. This agency actually ended up transitioning some of its e-learning course offerings back to live classrooms. With agencies looking to advance their efficiency and productivity, they must have the right systems in place. The shared-services model followed by some agencies (in which learning and talent systems are being shared across agencies) is one solution being adopted to make sure the right technology is in place to fully achieve goals.

Overall, as learning executives look for solutions to the challenges ahead, they will be best served to focus on efficiency, effectiveness and alignment – the three main tenets of a high-impact learning organization.34 Several agencies we interviewed, such as the U.S. Postal Service, have already created a comprehensive learning strategy linked to business goals, recognizing that reform needs to be driven from a strategy perspective, not just by individual programs.

Although tough times lay ahead from a resource perspective, our research shows that learning organizations can emerge from a financial crisis even stronger.35 The IRS and the U.S. Postal Service are two notable examples of how learning executives are proactively dealing with the budget crisis, while still focusing on the development needs of their employees. Federal organizations can learn from these examples to create solutions to their current economic, political and talent challenges.

34 For more information, The High-Impact Learning Organization: WhatWorks® in

the Management, Governance and Operations of Modern Corporate Training, Bersin &

Associates / Josh Bersin, May 2008.35 For more information, The Corporate Learning Factbook® 2011: Benchmarks, Trends

and Analysis of the U.S. Training Market, Bersin & Associates / Karen O’Leonard, January 2011.

As learning executives

look for solutions to

the challenges ahead,

they will be best

served to focus on

efficiency, effectiveness

and alignment – the

three main tenets of a

high-impact learning

organization.

A N A LY S I S



Regarding This ResearchWe will be presenting highlights of this research at webinars and other events throughout the coming year.36 If you are interested in assistance with selecting any of the technologies discussed in this report, please contact us at [email protected].

Come Visit with Us

We are continuing to expand our workshop and events program to bring research and best practices to your organization. In particular, we encourage you to attend our yearly research conference, IMPACT: The Business of Talent®37. We hope you will join us, and many other senior HR and L&D executives as they share their experiences and best practices with you.

Join Our Research Membership Program

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36 For more information on our upcoming events and webinars, please visit

www.bersin.com/newsevents.37 For more information about this conference, please visit www.bersin.com/impact.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.bersin.com/membership

http://www.bersin.com/newsevents

http://www.bersin.com/impact



Appendix ISummary of Abbreviations

and Acronyms



ATL Acquisition, Technology and Logistics

CGO Company-Grade Officers

CGOLP Company-Grade Officers Leadership Program

CHCO Chief Human Capital Officer

CLO Chief Learning Officer

CoP Community of Practice

DAU Defense Acquisition University

DoD Department of Defense

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

ILT Instructor-Led Training

IRS Internal Revenue Service

L&D Leadership and Development

LMS Learning Management System

OPM Office of Personnel Management

SOC Squadron Officer College (U.S. Air Force)

USAF U.S. Air Force

USPS U.S. Postal Service

vILT Virtual Instructor-Led Training

Appendix I: Summary of Abbreviations and Acronyms



Appendix IITable of Figures



Appendix II: Table of Figures

Figure 1: 2010 Change in L&D Spending by Industry 10

Figure 2: Training Delivery Methods 2010 – by Industry 12

Figure 3: Components of the EPA’s Supervisory Training Program 14

Figure 4: Bersin & Associates Learning Impact Measurement Model® 16

Figure 5: Company Grade Officer Leadership Program (CGOLP) Course List 22

Figure 6: Acquisition, Technology and Linguistics Performance Learning Model 27

Figure 7: The Vision of Integrated Talent Management 29

Figure 8: Talent Management Maturity by Industry – U.S. 2010* 31

Figure 9: Impact of Talent Management Maturity on Organizational Effectiveness 32

Figure 10: The Learning Continuum for the U.S. Postal Service 33

Figure 11: The Bersin & Associates Modern Enterprise Learning Index® 35

Figure 12: Aligning L&D to Organizational Goals 38



About UsBersin & Associates is the only research and advisory consulting firm focused solely on WhatWorks® research in enterprise learning and talent management. With more than 25 years of experience in enterprise learning, technology and HR business processes, Bersin & Associates provides actionable, research-based services to help learning and HR managers and executives improve operational effectiveness and business impact.

Bersin & Associates research members gain access to a comprehensive library of best practices, case studies, benchmarks and in-depth market analyses designed to help executives and practitioners make fast, effective decisions. Member benefits include: in-depth advisory services, access to proprietary webcasts and industry user groups, strategic workshops, and strategic consulting to improve operational effectiveness and business alignment. More than 3,500 organizations in a wide range of industries benefit from Bersin & Associates research and services. Bersin & Associates can be reached at http://www.bersin.com or at (510) 251-4400.

About This ResearchCopyright © 2011 Bersin & Associates. All rights reserved. WhatWorks® and related names such as Rapid e-Learning: WhatWorks® and The High-Impact Learning Organization® are registered trademarks of Bersin & Associates. No materials from this study can be duplicated, copied, republished, or reused without written permission from Bersin & Associates.Theinformationandforecastscontainedinthisreportreflectthe research and studied opinions of Bersin & Associates analysts.


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